Two businesses have been fined a total of almost £30,000 after hazardous waste residue was left in storage drums sent to a scrap yard.
Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard contaminated drums were crushed without being cleaned. The crushed drums were among a load of drums taken to a scrap metal dealer, who rejected the waste and alerted the Environment Agency.
Middlesbrough waste disposal business UK Resource Management Ltd (UKRM) was fined a total of £15,000 and ordered to pay £4,750 costs after accepting it had been grossly negligent. UKRM took 160 metal drums, with plastic liners, from chemical manufacturer William Blythe Ltd (Wm Blythe).
Contaminants included chromium trioxide (chromic acid), which is corrosive, carcinogenic and toxic, and reacts with organic material to catch fire. Although UKRM's drum washing machinery had broken down and its usual operator was on holiday, the company chose not to wait until the drums could be crushed and disposed of safely.
Trevor Cooper, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said UKRM held a waste management licence allowing it to keep and treat various wastes. The licence conditionally required waste drums to be washed before crushing, to ensure any hazardous waste residues were removed. Mr Cooper said it was only by "sheer luck" the drums did not ignite when crushed.
District judge Martin Walker said, "It is a vital part of the Environment Agency's work to protect the environment and in this case there was the potential for people to be injured because the chemicals were potentially very serious."
Paperwork from Wm Blythe to accompany the drums inadequately described the waste as being "metal" and did not specify they had contained hazardous waste. The Environment Agency submitted this omission meant the company fell well below its legal obligation. Wm Blythe was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £4,750 prosecution costs.
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